


It's Not Normal (But We'll Work With It)

by KillJoy998



Category: Lord of the Rings RPF
Genre: M/M, Muteness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-19
Updated: 2014-12-19
Packaged: 2018-03-02 07:03:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,149
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2803808
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KillJoy998/pseuds/KillJoy998
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Billy is decidedly unique, Dom gets severely ill for about fifteen minutes because he never gets ill, and Elijah has a big mouth on him. Sean's just there to be responsible, really, because Billy's a little on edge to speak for himself.</p>
            </blockquote>





	It's Not Normal (But We'll Work With It)

It's something that Dominic notices almost immediately about his co-actor, and considering the fact that they were near inseparable.... Well, it was something that Dom _had_ to notice.

 

Billy is unique, anyone could tell you that without one flicker of doubt in their mind, and he comes with his own set of quirks that many people would, with the qualities that make that certain person an individual. Dom believes he has a lot of those himself, because he isn't exactly the picture of perfect by a long shot, so he doesn't seem to mind to point out flaws in others. Not that Billy has any flaws, well, he probably does, but Dom doesn't really consider them as flaws. They just add to Billy's uniqueness.

 

And that's where he _always_ gets stuck.

 

"Where is he?" a voice behind him enquires, and it's what takes Dom away from his mind to snap him back to reality.

 

To the set. To the scene he is minutes away from shooting, with his mind completely blanking out.

 

"Uh, who?" he finally finds his voice, as well as his eyesight when Peter rounds him.

 

The director gives him a look, and he _knows_ that look. "Billy. Where's Billy?"

 

"Dunno," is Dom's quick-fire answer, and he makes sure his eyes are just staring out to absolutely nothing instead of them being on Peter's face.

 

There's a long pause that Dom doesn't even wish to decipher, and before he believes the Director has left to... direct, his voice pipes up again. Dom doesn't know what to do about it.

 

"Are you okay?"

 

Another unhealthy pause is what it takes for Dominic to realize he probably should respond to him. But what is his answer? _Is_ he okay? Well, he kind of wishes there was a closer toilet, because his stomach is sending out hasty signals. He really, _really_ needs to throw up, but it's only just occurred to him.

 

"I'm fine."

 

"Really?"

 

And the persistent concern that laces itself in Pete's voice makes Dom want to hurl one hundred times more, and then Billy is on his mind, and then the signals turn into actions as he abandons the older man in that search of somewhere that's appropriate to carry out the bile burning in his throat.

 

\----

 

Billy doesn't say anything when Peter asks him about the whole incident, and insists to know whether Dom is feeling better or not. He stays silent through the ordeal because words can't find him, and his mind is clouded from the situation at hand. He doesn't understand it. Dom was feeling fine previously, or so he thought, except maybe for the looks that was seemingly always pointed his way. Now that he thinks about it, his best friend's attitude had changed somewhere between the week, and he wasn't sure what had caused such a thing. How come Monaghan couldn't have just mentioned that he wasn't feeling too right for the day? Usually they held nothing between each other, it's always laid out between them like cards that could never be double sided. It wasn't something Billy drowned himself in, but Dom was someone who couldn't be replaced, especially not by a different version of Dom. It would be preposterous.

 

In spite of the fact that his mind is whirling around with thoughts and responses, Billy says nothing whatsoever. It's probably what gives Peter another reason to be worried, with the mind that he should write this down. He leaves before Billy finds his voice, but honestly, it takes a while to find his breath.

 

\----

 

It's Sean who finds him, which would have been a bet he would have lost if Dom could picture the future events that would pass them by.

 

He is slumped against the toilet seat with puffy eyes and vomit still sticky between his lips, and in his head he very almost laughs at himself. _Almost_.

 

"Dominic," he hears Sean's faint voice, and then feels himself being lifted to his feet awkwardly.

 

He doesn't have the strength to support his weight against his co-actor, and so feels awful as he drapes himself against the older man's side just so he could see properly. It takes far too long for his eyes to adjust and for his brain to start sending motions down to his feet. His steps are small and barely even there, and it feels like he's just being dragged to the medical hall. It's probably how this is going, but Sean doesn't seem to mind, so Dom's mind refuses to dwell on it. He feels entirely too sick for thoughts.

 

He can hear voices insisting that he sits, but before he can attempt to do so on his own accord, several pairs of hands grab at him like he's a toy, and he's being dragged three different ways until the people co-ordinate and he's finally being slumped against a chair.

 

"Does he need to lie down?"

 

It's Sean's voice again, and then a new one.

 

"Dom? Is he okay? God, Dom, can you hear me?"

 

_Elijah's._

 

"Leave him alone, we know what to do. Please, sir, we need you to move out of the way."

 

He doesn't recognize that voice, but his mind is slipping away, and his vision blurs considerably.

 

"Is he going to be okay?"

 

Sean's, again. He's sure of it. He lifts his hand automatically when he can feel his head drooping though, mainly because he wants to vomit and sleep simultaneously, but then there's so many people shouting at him and holding him and everything is blurry as people instruct him to do things, while others ask repeatedly about his condition. It feels like a nightmare, and he's sure that he isn't even meant to be sick.

 

"Please, sir, _move_."

 

It takes a moment for Dom to realize that the woman isn't snapping at him, because his eyes readjust for one last second as he recognizes the intruder. _Billy_.

 

And suddenly, he finds his wrecked and strained voice, "B-Bill?"

 

Billy opens his mouth as if he wants to respond straight away, but then there's a heartbeat, and then another, and then Dom sees that mouth close in retaliation. It lost another battle. His hand instantly flies out to grip pathetically at Billy's sleeve, and the older man lets him do that. In fact, as the paramedic tries to separate them, with Elijah mouthing them off like a drunken sailor and Sean trying to shut the kid up, Billy doesn't say anything, but he manages to drop to his knees and hold Dom's hand.

 

It's the last thing he manages to see before he's out unconscious.

 

\----

 

Billy's silent throughout the procedure, because that's all he really can be. The waiting room is actually almost empty, and lots of his cast members are surrounding the seats, trying to fill it out, but it's hopeless. It's lonely and cold and Billy wishes he could fins his voice only to scream. Except, it isn't proper, and he doesn't scream. He really doesn't.

 

Elijah's by his side in a heartbeat, and then Sean's trailing behind him with a tray of steaming mugs. Coffee, probably, knowing Sean.

 

Billy knows 'Lij is definitely talking to him, trying to soothe his nerves a little. It was so out of the blue, which is what makes it nearly a hundred times more scarier. Dom isn't ill. He rarely ever accepts defeat when it comes to sickness, so knowing that the younger had been brought down to _this_ was extraordinary, and frightening to wits end.

 

His hands grip at the seat's armrest, and then Sean's voice joins the mix of others, and he's not really being brought to reality; in fact, it's like it's the opposite. They're driving him away because Billy's unfocused, and he doesn't have the energy to refocus. Not to them, at least. But then a loud clap is emitted, and Peter is staring at him expectantly. They're _all_ staring at him expectantly.

 

William sucks in a breath, and then he's meeting himself with several raised eyebrows and unknowing glances. They surely wish for some sort of explanation for _something_ , but Billy is not able to give them any. He doesn't understand what's wrong with Dommie, he really doesn't and it makes him want to cry because he's laying in a hospital bed, unconscious, and no one's there. No one is allowed to be there, not even Billy. And he doesn't have the ability to even say that he doesn't know because his voice is failing him. Has failed him for a few days now. People have noticed. _Of course._

 

"Billy," Sean starts, and Billy is able to actually listen now, eyes searching out Sean's until his cast mates have got his attention, "Don't try, okay? You can understand me, right? Us? Because we kind of need you to be co-operative here."

 

Billy doesn't know how to respond, especially with several eyes hunting him down. He nods though, because communication in these situations are important, so he has to give them something. Apparently nodding allows Sean to smile wide.

 

"Right," Astin continues, apparently satisfied, "Thank you. Okay, well, let's just go for it. Did you know about this? About... Dom?"

 

And then he almost flails, and Billy might have laughed if it was any other situation. But in this instance, he just shakes his head, and he's met with an understanding nod.

 

A choked sob emits from someone, then he finds out that it's coming from beside him. Elijah's crying.

 

"Lij," Sean whispers, and he's kneeling beside the young actor, rubbing his back soothingly, "Dom will be okay."

 

Billy lifts his gaze a little and spots that Ian is staring at him; it's quite hard to read, mainly because he's not in the right mind and Ian is unsurprisingly cryptic when he wants to be.

 

He desperately wishes Sean's right.

 

\----

 

It takes a few draining weeks that gets people so exhausted with life they feel suitable to end it for Dom to be fully healthy enough to be removed out of hospital. It's something that lifts the strain away from his fellow actors. The fact that Dom can walk by himself and be able to see clearly certainly lets Elijah to be calmed down, and Sean has the ability to mould back into the background.

 

Peter is still uncertain to put Dom back into work, especially considering no one really knew what had caused it at the beginning, but Dom keeps on insisting he's fine. Because he really is. He isn't even ill, because he rarely lets his body get defeated in such a fight. He's never been in a state such as that, which is what puts Peter off.

 

So with little battle, Dom's bed ridden in his trailer.

 

The light streaming in the bedroom of said trailer trails across the mattress, and Dom is out of his mind with boredom as he hears murmurs and mumbles outside of his open window.

 

The door creaks open and Dom's hasty response is to sit bolt upright, but the dizziness snatches and dances in his head, so his blurry vision forces him back down again. It's Billy. He knows it is, if the tentative steps are anything to go by, and the fact that the entrails of heavy breathing. He shouldn't be able to tell how Billy breathes, because that's unnatural, but it doesn't seem to effect anything.

 

"Billy," Dom calls out, and then there's a Scot making his way into his room.

 

The bedroom door closes, and so do Billy's eyes.

 

Dom feels sick as he takes in Billy's fragile but, dare he say, breath-taking form, especially with the light soaking him. It's always how he's thought Billy to be. He finds himself wishing to hold out for his hand, and perhaps even tug him into bed with him. Only to hold and sleep with, because he's done it before and sleeping with Billy is like having a slumber in Heaven. He's almost one hundred percent sure that he isn't ashamed.

 

But then Billy's eyes fly open and there's a smile, a _smirk_ , and that is completely Pippin's. Well, Dom thinks it _should_ be Pippin.

 

"Billy," Dom breathes out, in a hush tone, slightly on edge, "I think I'm ill."

 

And then there's a delightful laugh that makes Dom smile because not smiling around that _laugh_ so full of glee should be bloody illegal.

 

And there's a voice, one that he's missed for the past few days.

 

"Oh, Dom. Yer such an idiot."

 

It's, as expected, a bit blurry after that. Although they really need to discuss it, about why Billy's been so mute and anxious recently, but it appears that he has his Billy back. One without many cares in the world, and he holds onto it. Because, really, letting go of something unique should be against the law. And in Dom's book, it really bloody is.


End file.
